Somewhat OT/Eating to your meter

[SewTired]

Regarding doctors taking pre diabetes seriously, even though I officially joined the pre diabetic club last year with a 5.7 A1C, three doctors, including an integrative health doc, didn't think it was a big deal. But fortunately, thanks to the "evil" internet, I knew better. I also still remember how much a relative when he was alive, suffered big time from diabetic complications. Obviously, I didn't want to repeat his experience.

Anyway, I am going to print this information out and show it to a friend with diabetes who has been treated the ADA way and is obviously not at optimal health. Stay tuned.

49er

Hey, it doesn't take long to go from Pre diabetic to diabetes. I had a 5.7 A1C and the following year went to 7.2 due to steroids needed to treat eye infection. In the 6 years (is it that long?) that I've had diabetes, the diabetes educators have downplayed the ADA diet because it simply causes most diabetics to get worse. They recommend South Beach diet if you need something more formal. If informal, they recommend a maximum of 90 carbs daily. This allows you the option to have higher carb days, such as for celebrations. 45 carbs/day (Atkins) is difficult for many people to maintain, but does help you get under control quickly and stay there provided you don't have other issues. Doesn't work for my BIL for instance. He did better with higher carbs but no gluten.

[SewTired]

if any of you are currently Type II diabetic, you can cure yourself with a low to no carb diet. It's real simple ... eat fresh organic veggies, animal proteins, and clean fats

Sorry, DreamStalker, but that is not true. You cannot cure yourself with any diet. Once you have diabetes, you have it. Many people can mitigate the problems by going low carb, but you are CONTROLLING a disease process that has not stopped. The goal is to control long enough to die of something else, but even with normal blood sugars at this point, damage does continue for many people. Diabetes is a disease of the blood vessels - every blood vessel everywhere is affected. Just wanted to point that out. Organic doesn't actually matter.

[SewTired]

Her doctor wrote her a prescription for supplies to test AT LEAST 3x/day with supplies to cover more than that. She had no problem getting them.
.

Your friend's coverage is not average. Believe me. Very few people not on insulin get more than 1x/day strips paid for by insurance. Yay for her! I noticed that the price for Bayer Contour Next Strips is considerably less than the previous strips. You can get 300 strips for $66 at Amazon. I remember a couple of years ago when the cheapest was 100 strips for about $75 (same brand).

Also, some docs do diagnose diabetes at a lower range for those who have a family history in order to start metformin earlier and mitigate damage. They can't just give you metformin - you have to have some kind of diagnosis.

I'm having a heck of a time right now. Taking steroids for only 7 days and my blood sugar is totally out of whack. Darn it.

[49er]

Regarding doctors taking pre diabetes seriously, even though I officially joined the pre diabetic club last year with a 5.7 A1C, three doctors, including an integrative health doc, didn't think it was a big deal. But fortunately, thanks to the "evil" internet, I knew better. I also still remember how much a relative when he was alive, suffered big time from diabetic complications. Obviously, I didn't want to repeat his experience.

Anyway, I am going to print this information out and show it to a friend with diabetes who has been treated the ADA way and is obviously not at optimal health. Stay tuned.

49er

Hey, it doesn't take long to go from Pre diabetic to diabetes. I had a 5.7 A1C and the following year went to 7.2 due to steroids needed to treat eye infection. In the 6 years (is it that long?) that I've had diabetes, the diabetes educators have downplayed the ADA diet because it simply causes most diabetics to get worse. They recommend South Beach diet if you need something more formal. If informal, they recommend a maximum of 90 carbs daily. This allows you the option to have higher carb days, such as for celebrations. 45 carbs/day (Atkins) is difficult for many people to maintain, but does help you get under control quickly and stay there provided you don't have other issues. Doesn't work for my BIL for instance. He did better with higher carbs but no gluten.

Good to know that hasn't been your experience with diabetes educators. Unfortunately, I am getting the sense from the diabetes forum that I visit, that other people's experiences are different.

Oh, I know it doesn't take long to go from pre diabetes to diabetes which is why I was stunned that the doctors didn't understand that. One doctor in particular really upset me with her reaction because my previous results had been 5.5 and 5.6. She should have clearly seen I was heading in the wrong direction but I digress.

The case with your BIL is a perfect example of how everyone is different. Even more proof though of how eating to the meter is so important so each person can see what foods they can and can't eat.

[Jay Aitchsee]

if any of you are currently Type II diabetic, you can cure yourself with a low to no carb diet. It's real simple ... eat fresh organic veggies, animal proteins, and clean fats

Sorry, DreamStalker, but that is not true. You cannot cure yourself with any diet. Once you have diabetes, you have it. Many people can mitigate the problems by going low carb, but you are CONTROLLING a disease process that has not stopped. The goal is to control long enough to die of something else, but even with normal blood sugars at this point, damage does continue for many people. Diabetes is a disease of the blood vessels - every blood vessel everywhere is affected. Just wanted to point that out. Organic doesn't actually matter.

Consider this. I know it's not the same, but...
A while back I had a cat that developed diabetes. In hindsight, it was probably brought on by the "premium" crap dry food I had been feeding him for 10 years. Anyway, after diagnosis, I put the cat on a strict diet of high quality (read expensive) wet food with no grains and minimal carbs. I kept his blood sugar tightly controlled with insulin as required, checking his glucose level at least 4 times per day. After about 9 months, the cat's glucose level stabilized in the normal range and he no longer needed insulin. Was he cured? I don't know about that, but at least his diabetes was in remission. His weight had returned and he no longer exhibited any symptoms.
Interestingly, I had two other cats at the time. And since all three shared the same food, they went on the same diet. Both of them lost weight and the coat of one which had been rather lousy improved dramatically.
I think the key element of the cat's treatment was control - type of food, time of food, amount of food, glucose level. If I developed diabetes, I don't know that I could adopt such a strict regimen for myself, but if I could...
I know it's not the same.

[Madalot]

Hey, it doesn't take long to go from Pre diabetic to diabetes.

One thing I've found is that everybody is/can be different. I stayed pre-diabetic for a LONG LONG LONG time. I'm talking 20 years or more. And what works for one person, sugar wise, will NOT work for another. My friend and I have different "triggers." She can eat bread (carefully) while it sends my sugar through the roof. On the other hand, I can eat pasta (again carefully) where even a small amount shoots her sugar sky high.

My doctor's office gave me my meter (they actually gave me two) and a ton of sample strips. My insurance wouldn't cover those strips though. During my fight to get my supplies, I bought a True Result meter & strips (cheap really) off Amazon. Finally, my doctor and insurance agreed on a meter & strips they would cover so I got yet ANOTHER meter. As of 2016, my insurance is ONLY supplying one type of meter/strip so my doctor had to order that -- so I have yet ANOTHER meter. On top of all this, I bought a mini to carry in my purse that used the same strips as the first meter my insurance said I had to have.

I have 6 fricking glucose meters now. Bordering on ridiculous if you ask me. But the truly expensive ones? I have no strips because they are anywhere from $50 - $75 for a vial of 50 strips. Pass.

[chunkyfrog]

I am in a Medicare competitive bid area for diabetes testing supplies.
Mail order is limited to weird stuff I've never heard of, so I buy locally. (Yes, you can!)
My part B with my part B supplement pays everything--after Medicare forces the price down
to just a shade over 20 bucks for 100 strips--and I use the Accu chek Nano (not a cheap brand)

[SewTired]

I am in a Medicare competitive bid area for diabetes testing supplies.
Mail order is limited to weird stuff I've never heard of, so I buy locally. (Yes, you can!)
My part B with my part B supplement pays everything--after Medicare forces the price down
to just a shade over 20 bucks for 100 strips--and I use the Accu chek Nano (not a cheap brand)

Fortunately, that bid area only affects Mail order supplies. I agree. Mostly weird stuff. Your supplemental can also determine how much you have to pay out. My bro chose to switch from Accucheck meter to Bayer Next due to the higher coverage for strips. However, he stayed with the Multiclick lancet because his handicaps make it difficult to use a regular lancet device and they opted to cover that the same as ordinary. So, it doesn't hurt to ask for exceptions.

[Janknitz]

if any of you are currently Type II diabetic, you can cure yourself with a low to no carb diet. It's real simple ... eat fresh organic veggies, animal proteins, and clean fats [

Sorry, DreamStalker, but that is not true. You cannot cure yourself with any diet. Once you have diabetes, you have it. Many people can mitigate the problems by going low carb, but you are CONTROLLING a disease process that has not stopped. The goal is to control long enough to die of something else, but even with normal blood sugars at this point, damage does continue for many people. Diabetes is a disease of the blood vessels - every blood vessel everywhere is affected. Just wanted to point that out. Organic doesn't actually matter.

When did I ever say a low or no carb diet "cures" Type II??? This quote is attributed to me, but as far as I recall, it's nothing I ever said. I searched this phrase. It didn't come from ME.

[Goofproof]

Part due to this thread I am making a better effort to get closer to control. My A1C is 7.8, I use avg of 200 to 210 units of insulin fast acting and NPH as needed.

I eat very little in the morning, too large a dinner, snack in the evening with T.V., eat a small meal before bed (2 am). I find in bed lately in the middle of my night my sugar goes way too low, luckily it tends to wake me up, when it happens I use candy to counter act the low, the result is usually a roller coaster, then high readings the next day.

I am making a effort to turn off the eating before bed, and of course cutting back on the night insulin, I've been at it 4 days now, am seeing some good 3 out of 4 days. I think for ME, it's worth keeping up. My fears are going too low and not waking up. 3 out of my last 4 days morning readings were in the low 60's, for me that's in my danger zone, I'm hoping the way I feel will adjust to make it more like normal. Jim

[Judge Nap]

Organic doesn't actually matter.

+1
Always glad to see someone who knows this. Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free is a huge scam by a multi-billion dollar food industry.

clean fats

"Clean", in today's context, used to describe any food, is without definition, but you always find superstition and no science behind it. It's another buzz word used by "natural" food marketers/scammers.

[Jay Aitchsee]

When did I ever say a low or no carb diet "cures" Type II??? This quote is attributed to me, but as far as I recall, it's nothing I ever said. I searched this phrase. It didn't come from ME.

Sloppy original quoting by SewTired. DreamStalker said it, top of page 2.

[Lucyhere]

Organic doesn't actually matter.

+1
Always glad to see someone who knows this. Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free is a huge scam by a multi-billion dollar food industry.

clean fats

"Clean", in today's context, used to describe any food, is without definition, but you always find superstition and no science behind it. It's another buzz word used by "natural" food marketers/scammers.

You speak the truth! Why people don't realize this is beyond me.

[Janknitz]

When did I ever say a low or no carb diet "cures" Type II??? This quote is attributed to me, but as far as I recall, it's nothing I ever said. I searched this phrase. It didn't come from ME.

Sloppy original quoting by SewTired. DreamStalker said it, top of page 2.

But it's attributed to ME.

[lilly747]

Organic doesn't actually matter.

+1
Always glad to see someone who knows this. Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free is a huge scam by a multi-billion dollar food industry.

clean fats

"Clean", in today's context, used to describe any food, is without definition, but you always find superstition and no science behind it. It's another buzz word used by "natural" food marketers/scammers.

You speak the truth! Why people don't realize this is beyond me.

Everyone has the right to their opinion and eat the way they want to eat. I eat organic and I think that is OK: you don't and I think that is OK.

No one likes to be told the way they eat is not the right way .....the only thing a person needs to REALIZE is....They have a right, in this country anyway, to eat the way they want